Fanfiction: Snowed In

[Sinshalai]

So... Astuto's a little more mischievous than he normally would be, but this was just a fantasy from my head, don't judge me ><

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The sun had almost set by the time Sin and Chaos appeared back on the horizon, headed towards the town, though it would be visible to almost no one. Their heads were bent down into the wind, Sin struggling to keep her saber going, now wishing she had some warmer clothing to wear.

The snow cut across their faces, and Chaos trudged along beside them, snarling whenever a decent patch of ice would hit him in the nose.

They had traveled farther than she'd intended to, but quickly despite everything. As soon as she'd gathered her analysis of the wolf, Sin had decided the task was not for her, but had ridden to Grizzly Hills as fast as she could, for it was there that the person lived whom she was sure could help the creature.

She had risked much, for upon arriving at the cave she'd sought, a snarling Malvarus had almost attacked her flat-out. Sindralai had stopped him, thankfully, and Sin left the task in her sister's hands, departing quickly so as not to provoke the druid's mate further.

She was just now returning from the east, but another nasty blizzard had sprung up when she'd reached the last few miles to Moaki Harbor, delaying her greatly.

She reached the stables after what seemed an eternity, handing Chaos and her saber off to the handlers to get proper food and bedding after that ordeal.

She then began the trudge back to her hut on the outskirts, wondering with a sinking feeling in her stomach how Astuto must have worried. She'd been gone much longer than she'd intended.

She reached their hut, not really able to feel anything on herself anymore as she stumbled down the walkway to the underground entrance. She hurried in, fumbling with the door as she unsealed it, scrambled inside, and sealed it back.

Snow covered her frozen body, and all she wanted to do was get by the fire and start thawing out, but her eyes scanned the room worriedly first, looking for the human that her heart couldn't help but sing for.

She stood in the doorway, her eyes training to the darkness quickly. Against her better judgment, she hung her bow from a coat hook as she moved to the fireplace, not seeing the human in the space, though the shadows were deep and impenetrable.

A knot formed in her stomach. He headed out to find her? She paused in the unbuckling of the many straps holding her armor to her body. If she was going to need to find him, she'd need to keep it on.

She felt a dreadful weight sink on her, like nothing she'd ever experienced. How could she have been so stupid? Of course he'd have gone after her. He was like that. No other male she knew would have... cared... so much...

She groaned, lowering her hands from the straps. Before they got more than six inches away from her body, however, she felt a sudden gust of air behind her. Hands covered hers, holding them to the straps.

Her heart pounded furiously, in anxiety, rush, and hope. Her head turned, glancing over her shoulder, and sure enough, Astuto's devilish grin flashed back at her. His dark eyes glinted with their usual mischievous glee, his ebony locks disheveled and cascading over his shoulders, only partially contained in the tie on his head. He still wore his black and gold-trimmed leather armor, though he'd removed his mask.

"...Were you really planning on stopping such a wonderful thing so soon?" he murmured, his smooth, velvety voice poured into her ear, while the rest of his body pressed into hers. Sin flushed heavily as she realized that something hard had nestled into a certain part of her lower regions, poking into her back. Memories of several past nights with the human flashed through her mind, making her grow weak in the knees. Her body was already yearning for him, aching to relive those events in live action, she could feel it.

"Let alone..." Astuto continued, "...that it seemed you intended to slip back out into this terrible weather yet again... after already disappearing for so many hours before, with no notice at all to your poor traveling companion, who was beside himself with worry..."

Sin swallowed hard, her heart speeding up even more now as she realized where he was going with this. She knew what the best course was to calm him, but pride and another sense of wicked masochism prevented her from taking the path of complete submission. He laced his fingers through hers, reaching to begin undoing her armor straps on his own. She readied to resist, and her body fought her every step of the way, wanting the human as if... well, Sin surmised, as if it wanted its mate.

His breath tickled her ear as his lips closed in on it. Sin knew that if he got it into his mouth, whether to kiss it or bite it, there probably would be no more resistance once he got there. She slammed against the walls of her mind, and her body pushed against his hands, suddenly dropping to try to surprise him and launching forward again.

The day she'd met him, the human's agility had astounded her, matching and even slightly surpassing her own. She met that same level of surprise now at how well he was able to read and predict her movements even through modified tactics, and then move to match and counter her. He'd waited out the initial spring, then when she dropped, without missing a beat, he dropped with her, pouncing over where she moved and proceeding to tackle her to the floor, pinning her legs down with his knees, her arms held behind her back with one hand as he pulled something out of his pouch with the other.

"Ah haha... I see you were really eager for the extra level today... very well..." he snickered.

Sin turned her head to see him yank the stopper out of a frighteningly-familiar bottle with his teeth. He covered the opening with his finger, turning it over to soak the tip, then righting it and smearing his fingertip all over his neck, replacing the stopper and stowing the vial. He grinned, a dark grin that sent a bolt of excitement and fear through Sin, and crawled forward, nestling atop her, making sure to put his neck very close to her face. She held her breath as long as she could.

"Now... where were we, Beautiful...?" He took both her wrists in each hand, his hands sliding up so his fingers could link with hers.